Kwara Madrasa Students Get Free AI, Data Skills Training Boost

Students attending traditional Arabic schools in Kwara State are set to benefit from free training in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analysis, software development and other digital skills following the launch of a ₦13 million computing and digital technology hub.

According to Ireporter Online, the facility, known as the Shaykh Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory Centre for Computing and Digital Technology, was inaugurated at Misbahudeen Islamic School in Ganmo, Asa Local Government Area of the state.

The technology centre, funded by Almaruf Global Works Nigeria Ltd with an investment of over ₦13 million, represents the first major project under the Almaruf Organisation for Islamic and Human Development’s Arabic Schools Development Programme.

Founder and Convener of the organisation, Dr Maruf Raji Owoyemi, explained that the initiative was created to bridge the digital gap faced by madrasa students by providing them with access to modern technological education and globally relevant skills.

Owoyemi stated that the programme aims to ensure that students in Arabic schools are not excluded from opportunities in the fast-growing technology sector.

Speaking on the project’s objectives, the consultant overseeing the Computing and Digital Technology Hub, Mahmood Abdullahi Loke, said the initiative would equip learners with AI-powered skills that would make them self-reliant, improve their employment prospects and enable them to compete internationally.

Loke noted that combining Islamic education with advanced digital training would help develop a new generation of innovators and problem-solvers capable of contributing positively to society.

He revealed that the technology curriculum would be taught in Arabic and structured into three stages, beginning with basic digital literacy, progressing to intermediate skills such as data analysis and graphic design, before advancing to specialised areas including Artificial Intelligence.

Representing Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, described the initiative as a significant investment in human capital development.

Olohungbebe said providing Arabic school students with knowledge in AI, robotics and web design would broaden their career opportunities and support efforts to reduce youth involvement in social vices.

Dr Owoyemi further disclosed plans to establish similar free digital technology laboratories in other madrasas across Kwara State, stressing that partnerships were necessary to complement government efforts in meeting educational needs.

The Grand Kadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, and Professor of Arabic Literature at Kwara State University, Professor Hamza Ishola Abdurraheem, also encouraged the beneficiaries to fully utilise the opportunity by combining their Arabic knowledge with modern technological expertise.

They emphasized that the blend of religious scholarship and digital innovation would position the students as globally competitive individuals capable of making meaningful contributions to the development of society.